Roy Nelson interested in bout with Pat Barry but open to suggestion

With both men coming off highlight-reel knockouts at the Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale, it’s natural for fans to want to see heavyweights Roy Nelson (18-7) and Pat Barry (8-5) paired for a future face-off. In addition to their shared success, each is among the hardest-hitting big men on the organization’s roster in addition to one the most personable competitors in the sport.

Nelson recently addressed the possibility of a bout with Barry and expressed openness to the idea, though he didn’t limit himself to the notion either.

“If Pat wants to, I’ll fight Pat,” said Nelson in an interview with The MMA Hour before putting some water on the idea of a fight between the two. “But, I talked to Pat, and he said he doesn’t want to fight for a while. He wants a vacation (and) I’m the kind of guy who likes to work.”

As far as other options, Nelson didn’t target any specific individual for his next outing, stating he’d take any opponent the UFC offered him – even Shane Carwin. However, it was clear Carwin is definitely not on the mind of “Big Country” at the moment and wouldn’t be his first choice after a match-up between the competing TUF 16 coaches fell apart at the last minute due to injury.

“I’m kinda already over it,” said Nelson of a clash with Carwin. “Like, I’ve already forgotten about Shane Carwin.”